RS4 Exhuast rattle or not?

[R1RS4]

Just thought I would share this as it may help an RS4 owner

Had my car now just over a year and since day one on start up or going over the odd speed bump I have heard a rattle from what I thought was one of the rear silencers, I have had the car up several times tapping the silencers but all to no avail

Just passed MOT with no advisories

Anyway today was the day I decided to to go out and remove the non res centre pipes and replace with resonators, nice little number in 25 deg's

Whilst removing the offside rear silencer I found the fault, the aluminium heat shield that sits above the silencer had come adrift from its mount on two fixings this is due to the corrosion of the steel washers mounted by Audi against the aluminium shield, perhaps could have had coppers washers, surprise suprise the steel nuts were easy to remove and I have fitted oversized steel washers with nylon washers fitted first.

The heat shield was vibrating and at times hitting the silencer

Wish I had the same luck with the bridging stap bolts and the 4 off clamps, yes all snapped, mild steel bolts with stainless nuts/ fittings

Still I did expect that

Anyone undertaken this job, I would like to know if the centre rubber hangers (like to replace) can be replaced without dropping the hanger/handbrake fixing plate?